Things That Make Me Go "REALLY?!?!"

(Not Shelby but illustrates my snit fairly well)

Saturday while I was sitting at my booth at Flaunt watching people go by, a woman stopped to ask me questions about the quilts. Here's how the conversation went:

Woman: "I just looove the quilt hanging behind you."

Me: "Thank you."

Me in my head: "Buyitbuyitbuyitbuyitbuyit."

Woman: "Is that a pattern or in a book?"

Me: "Yes. It's a Blooming Nine Patch from the book Traditions With a Twist"

Woman: "I just looove that pattern."

Me: "I'm sure we still have a copy or two of the book at the shop if you want to make it yourself."

Woman: "Would you make a copy of the pattern and give it to me?"

Me: blank stare

Me in my head: "She DID NOT just say that. Really? She did?"

Me: "Uh no. I can't make a copy of the patter for you. That's against the law. It's stealing."

Woman: "Is it? I thought since you had already bought the book, you could copy what you want."

Me: "No ma'am. It's illegal to copy a pattern from a book and give it to someone else so they don't have to buy the book. That's stealing from the author."

Woman: "Well, I copy things all the time so I can make notes on them and I don't mess up my book."

Me: "That's perfectly fine. You can do that but you can, say, give me a copy of the pattern from your book. It's wrong."

Woman: "Hmm. I didn't know that." annndd...she walks off.

Me in my head: "How the heck to you live in this world of intellectual property and NOT know that copying a pattern and doling it out like Pez is illegal and wrong?" Come on!! REALLY?!?

And while I'm on my soap box...

We had a "customer" come in the shop not too long ago and she looked and looked. Then she took a photo of one of our samples. When one of the kind ladies that works in the shop showed her the pattern for the sample, the "customer" said, I've got a photo now so I don't need to buy the pattern.

REALLY?

uhh...that would be stealing too. It hurts the local shop because instead of supporting us by doling out the $9 for the pattern and helping us keep the doors open, she's using us for inspiration...which is all fine and good...until we have to close the doors because people stop buying patterns and only come in to take photos. It's also stealing the intellectual property of the person that developed the pattern.

And while I'm talking about supporting your local quilt shop, here's another example...

During the shop hop a month or so ago, we were demoing a certain item and taking orders. A "customer" decided she wanted what we were selling...but when told we would order one for her she said "well, I'll just order it online somewhere."

uh...REALLY?

Instead of supporting her local quilt shop, she's going to order the same thing online and PAY for shipping?

To me, that makes no sense at all.

1. IF you would find it online for a better price, you'd more than make up the difference in shipping cost.

2. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL QUILT SHOP!

before there are no local quilt shops to support.

(Image found on this fabulous blog and full credit given to her fabulousness.)

(and she quietly steps off her soapbox and goes to bed.)